Bruins welcome Maddie Santosuosso to practice for Make-A-Wish

Maddie Santosuosso of Topsfield, 9, joined the professionals on the Ristuccia Arena ice Wednesday morning as part of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Maddie is suffering from stage 4 Sarcoma.

By Dan CagenDaily News staff

WILMINGTON — The Bruins had a new goaltender for practice Wednesday.

Maddie Santosuosso of Topsfield, 9, joined the professionals on the Ristuccia Arena ice Wednesday morning as part of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Maddie is suffering from stage 4 Sarcoma.

Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask stood next to Maddie as the rest of the teams looped shots on net. Rask even showed her how to butterfly a little.

"It was great," Rask said. "I met her I think a week ago or something. We went to Norwood, hockey store and picked her up some gear. I was pretty impressed -- that was her first time wearing that, and she was skating around and stopping pucks, so I was pretty impressed."

All the Bruins made sure to give Maddie some encouragement. Johnny Boychuk was impressed when she got in the way of a puck off his stick.

"It was great," Milan Lucic said. "I think the best thing about it was it gave me a lot of joy to see her have a lot of joy. That was the main thing."

Rask and other players signed Maddie's stick afterwards.

It was the start of a day full of charitable activities for the Bruins. Most of the players will have their heads shaved Wednesday afternoon at the Boston Park Plaza as part of 'Cuts for a Cause'. The event, in it seventh year, is run by Shawn Thornton after being started by former Bruin Aaron Ward.

The event raises money for the Shawn Thornton Foundation, Boston Bruins Foundation and Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center.

The only Bruins not participating are Loui Eriksson, David Krejci, Brad Marchand and Rask.